National Minority Donor Awareness Week, celebrated annually August 1-7, is a nationwide observance to educate minorities of the desperate need for donation and transplantation within minority communities. This special observance honors minorities who have been donors and encourages others to register as donors in order to reduce the number needing a transplant. The Association for Multicultural Affairs in Transplantation (AMAT), in partnership with the National Minority Organ Tissue Transplant Education Program (MOTTEP), celebrates National Minority Donor Awareness Week (NMDAW) 2017. Launched in 1996, NMDAW was created to increase awareness of the need for more organ, eye, and tissue donors from ethnically diverse communities.
AMAT salutes the great strides that have been made in terms of the significant increase of multicultural organ, eye, and tissue deceased donors. However, the percentage of patients being added to the national transplant list continues to surpass the percentage of ethnically diverse donors. Transplant and donation professionals are ever mindful that education and engagement must remain a top priority throughout the donation and transplantation community.
American Indian – Currently, there are 1,127 American Indian/Alaska Natives in the US waiting for an organ transplant. In 2016, 231 American Indians received a life-saving transplant from a generous donor.
African American – Currently, there are 34, 203 African Americans waiting for a lifesaving transplant. In 2016, African Americans accounted for 1,569 donors that gave the gift of life.
Asian/Pacific Islander – In 2016, 1, 863 Asians and Pacific Islanders received a lifesaving transplant from a generous donor. To date, there are 9, 640 Asians and Pacific Islanders waiting for an organ transplant.
Hispanic – Currently, there are 22, 771 Hispanics waiting for a lifesaving transplant. In 2016, Hispanics accounted for 1,311 that gave the gift of life.
For more information and resources, please visit the Association for Multicultural Affairs in Transplantation website.
National Minority Donor Awareness Week is August 1 – 7, 2017.